Outlet box



H. G. KNODERER Feb. 12 1924;

I OUTLET BOX Filed Dec. 18

Inventor HOmQk' G. Knodemr,

His Afiorney,

Patented Feb. 12,- 192.

HOMER G. xnonnnau, or nnonnwoon, m :rnnsn'r, .essienon ro Gmmm mitorum comranmn coaronnrrou ornnw roux ou'rnn'r BOX.

Application filed December 18, 1922. Serial No.60h497.

.To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Honnn G. KNonERna, a .citizen of the United States residin at Epglewood, county of Bergen, tate of l ew Jersey, have invented certainnew' and useful Im rovements in Outlet Boxes, of which. the fol owing isa specification."

, The present invention relates to outlet.

boxes such as are used for house wiring y and particularlyto that class of boxes com monly known as gang boxes which co'mprise a plurality of box elements which may e fastened together to. form a box structure having any suitable number'of seo-' 5 tions for receiving switches or the like.

One object of my invention is to provide' an improved gang can be built up to any desired length from but two different partsor elements, viz. a 20. body member and an end plate. By this arrangement the'manufacturer is required to make elements of only two different types and the dealer is required to carryin stock elements of only two different types. 25., A further object of my invention is to provide an improved outlet box in which the parts are easily fastened together without the use of screws or any special tools. For a consideration of what 1' believe'to be novel and my invention, attention is directed to the accompanying description and the claims appended thereto. 1 In the drawing, Fig. 1 is an exploded view of an outlet box embodying my invention; Fig. 2 is a'perspective view of an as-' sembled box, and Figs. 3 and 4 are detail sectional views.

Boxes embodying my invention are constructed from elements of two types, body elements A and end elements B. The body element com rises abottom 10 and two side walls 11.

wall are also'twti outwardly projecting lugs edge upper box structure which as shown'in Fig.

The box is shownnas being provided-with,

.joined in any tionsedge bottom 10 is pro-. vided with acentrally located recess 12 member to hold them from the bottom wall and hook 14 (if the bottom wall the thickness of the box 15 which-are struck down a distance 'eguglto thethickness of the box material. walls 1-1 are provided at their upper corners with recesses or slots 16' and on one edge with books 17 andlugs 18 and 19,

lugs 18 being struck in and lugs 19being struck out so as to adapt them to receive the edge of'a body section betweenthem.

' Each end element B comprises a rectangin lar plate 20 provided with hooks -21 at-its corners lugs 22 on its side edges. The side edges are providedtalso with recesses '23 which may be' intlie form of holes or struck-out indentations. Thelower edge'is provided at its central portion witha tongue 24 hHV'. ing'a hook 25 -atits free end, the tongue being initially struck out so that the hook lies outside the inner surface of the plate and forwardly projecting usual types of'attaching cars 26, supporting'plates 27 and knockouts 28. i

Tobuild up a box comprising either one or a plurality of units requires'two-end members B- and as many body members A. as the box is to have sections. In Fig. 2 a box comprisingtwo sections is-shown. In constructing a box the members maybe desired order. The left-hand end member is attached to a body member by inserting books 21 in notches, 16 while the members are held at an angle to eac otherand then bringing them together by a turning movement. This brings hooks 21'tight up'against the edges of notches 16 as shown in Fig.2 and ton 1e 2% to the position shown in Fig. then struck inward and then upward as shown in Fig. 4 to bring hooks 25 into recess 12. The end is thus firmly attached to the body member. Lugs 22 embrace the outer surfaces of the sides of thebody member to hold them from bulging outwardly and the side surfaces of books 21- engage the inner surfaces of the sides of the b y bulging inwardly. This arrangement holds the end member and body member rigidly against relative movement in any direction.

Two body members are connected by inserting hooks 17 into notches 16 while the body members are held at an angle to each other and then bringing them together by a, turning movement in exactly the same 3. ongue 2a is manner in which an end member is attached to a body member. This brings hooksli' tight up against the edges of slots 16 as position in the same way as the left-hand member exceptthat instead of being held by book 25 it is held by book 14 which is bent up to engage the outside ot-theyend member as shown in Fig. 4. When the right-hand end member is put in place lugs 19 embrace the side edges ofthe endmember, lugs 15 engage under the bottom edge, and lugs 18 enter recesses 23. In this connec tion it will be notedthat books 25 are positioned so as to beout of. line with hooks 14. I V

By the above described arrangement I provide a gang outlet box whichcan be quickly assembled from elements or members of but two types without the use of screws or special toolsand which when assembled is firmly and positively locked together with the walls held in accurate alignment. In connection with the body membersit will be noted that one edge is smooth, all the projections being formed on the other edge. By forming all projections on one edge I effect the greatest economy in material, keeping the amount of waste material a minimum.

In accordance with the provisions of the patent statutes, I have described the principle of operation of myinvention, to ether with the apparatus which I now consi er to represent the best embodiment thereof; but

I desire to have it understood that the appar atus shown is only illustrative, and that theinvention may be carriedout by other means.

4 \Vhat I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is,

1. A gang outlet box comprising end members which are'alike in structure, and body members which arealike in structure, said end members having books at their upper corners and said body member having notches at its upper corners at both ends and hooks on its uppercorners at one end, the hooks on both the end membersand the body members being adapted toengage the notches in the body members, and means for fastening the end members and body members together at their lower edges. 2. A gang outlet box "comprising end members which are alike in structure, andbody members being adapted to engage the notches in the body members, and tongues and recesses for fastening the members together at their lower edges, said tongues I standing normally out of fastening position and ada ted to be bent to fastening position.

A" ang outlet box comprising cud members which are alike in structure, and body .membeis which are alike in structure, said end members having books at their up -per corners and said body member. having notches at its upper. corners at bothends and hooks onits upper corners at one end, the hooks on both the end members and the body members bein .adapted to engage the notches ifi the bocy members, means for fasteningihe end members and ma memberst-o'gether at their lower edges, and pro my hand. t

' HOMER (ir. KNODERER.

jecting lugs for holding the members in 

